The Jefferson Council Responds to the Defacing of Israeli Flag at UVA’s McIntire School

CHARLOTTESVILLE — A new semester should be a time of joy, hope, and excitement. Instead, we have returned to the anxiety of last semester with the news of the defacing of the Israeli flag at UVA’s McIntire School.

The McIntire School’s Dean, Nicole Jenkins, swiftly condemned the vandalism and stated, “all forms of bigotry and intimidation—antisemitism, any other form of religious, racist, or other discrimination—have no place at McIntire or anywhere at the University.” She also vowed to replace the Israeli flag which represents many present and past McIntire students.

Mr. Jefferson once said, “My theory has always been, that if we are to dream, the flatteries of hope are as cheap, and pleasanter, than the gloom of despair." In this spirit, and despite our reservations about past inaction at UVA, we will hope and dream that this vandalism will be an isolated experience. Vandalism of any kind flies in the face of Jefferson’s legacy of civil dialogue and UVA’s Honor Code, which represent two of the four objectives of The Jefferson Council.

As always, if you have any concerns or information related to the vandalism, please feel free to reach out to us at info@jeffersoncouncil.org.

The Jefferson Council is a nonprofit organization comprised of UVA alumni, donors, students, and faculty who are committed to preserving Thomas Jefferson’s legacy of freedom and excellence at the University of Virginia.